Mäni marjaan emoni

SKVR III1 39·Narvusi·1853·Collector: Europaeus, D. E. D.

In the SKVR edition: [Narvusi]. D. E. D. Europæus. Fol. III 3. n.189. 1853.

Song type: Äidin kuolo

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SKVR textEnglish

1Mäni marjaan emoni,Went to the berries, my mother,

2Karpaloon kantajani,To the cranberries, my bearer,

3Alta linnan linnukkaan,From under the castle’s little bird-place,

4Päältä vallin vaapukkaan.From atop the rampart’s cloudberry patch.

5Toi miulle mesiset marjat,Brought me honeyed berries,

6Itsellein ikiset marjat,For herself, eternal berries,

7Sisoille siniset marjat,For sisters, blue berries,

8Vellollein veripunaiset.For brothers, blood-red ones.

9Itse voipu vuoteese,She herself weakened into bed,

10Kaatu katteen aloille.Fell onto the shrouded floor.

11Oli vuoen vuoteessa,A year in the bed,

122 vuotta katteessa.A year beneath the cover.

13Mie piika pikkarainen,I, a small servant girl,

14Matalainen marjukkainen,Lowly berry-gatherer,

15Lyhytliitsa linnukkainen,Short-skirted, bird-like one,

16Juoksin noialle Viroon,Ran to a witch in Estonia,

17Linnan alle arpojalle.To the diviner under the castle.

18Eipä noiu nuori noita,The young witch did not aid,

19Vanha arpoja avita.The old diviner gave no help.

20Noitu sitte keskimäinen,Then a middle-aged witch,

21Sanoi noita pääsevänsä,Said the witch would prevail,

22Arpoja avin tulevan.The diviner would come with aid.

23Juoksin juoksulla kotiin,Ran swiftly home,

24Tulin otsalle kylää.Came to the village’s edge.

25Kuulin koissa kolkettavan,Heard knocking in the sauna,

26Veräjillä vessettävän,At the gates, washing done.

27Luulin tehtävän venettä,Thought a boat was being built,

28Asettavan airopuita;Oars being set in place;

29Tehtiin tuonelle tupaa,They built Death a house,

30Maalle tuojani majaa.For the bringer, a hut on earth.

31Tulin kiireesti tupaan,Hurried into the house,

32Kysyttelin minjoltani:Asked my daughter-in-law:

33"Kuss on, minjä, meien mamma?""Where is, dear, our mother?"

34Minj ei virkkanut mitään.She spoke not a word.

35Siis kysyin velloltani:Then asked my brother:

36"Kussa, vello, meien mamma?""Where, brother, is our mother?"

37Vello ei virkkanut mitään.He spoke not a word.

38Siis kysyin sisäreltäni:Then asked my sister:

39"Kussa, siso, meien mamma?""Where, sister, is our mother?"

40Siso vasten vastaeli:Sister answered haltingly:

41"Mamma on tuonelan tuvassa,"Mother’s in Death’s house,

42Maalta männeen majassa."In a hut gone from this earth."

43Mänin kirkon kynnykselle,Went to the church threshold,

44Aloin päätäni sukia,Began to comb my hair,

45Hiuksiani leinaella,To lament with my tresses,

46Itse täyvyin itkemähän.Myself resolved to weep.

47Puuttu isyt kuulemahan:Father heard and interjected:

48"Elä itke tyttäreni,"Do not weep, my daughter,

49Taatto tuopi toisen mamman,Father will bring a new mother,

50Toisen mamman ja paremman."A new, better mother."

51Mie vastasin isolle:I answered my father:

52"Oi isyt, vana isäni,"Oh father, dear old father,

53Sie tuot naisen itsellesi,You bring a wife for yourself,

54Et tuo miun emyttä!Don’t bring me a stepmother!

55Vieras mamma, viekas mamma,A foreign mother, sly mother,

56Vieraalle kannetulle,Brought to a stranger’s home,

57Kuin se päätäni siloopi,When she strokes my head,

58Niin viep hiukset männessään.She’ll take my hair as she goes.

59Kuin se kerttää kasvojani,When she combs my face,

60Niin puna putoop jäleltä.The rosy hue will fade away.

61Vieras mamma viekas mamma,Foreign mother, sly mother,

62Vieras kantaja kavala,Foreign bearer, deceitful,

63Vieraalle kannetulle,Brought to a stranger’s home,

64Tuntoo työstä tulleeksi,She’ll seem fresh from work,

65Ei tunne väsyneeksi."But never feel weary."

English translations by DeepSeek R1, provided by Lidia Pivovarova (University of Helsinki). AI-generated translations may contain inaccuracies.

The text is that of the SKVR digital edition of the Finnish Literature Society (SKS), with these changes:

The editors’ signs inside the verses ([ ], ⌈ ⌉, *, [!], [?]) are left out, as in the poem reader; the letters they enclose are kept.
The edition’s line numbers are replaced by a number on every verse, counted as in the poem reader.
The editors’ notes, and the marks in the verses that point to them, are left out; they can be read at SKS.

Source

Text: SKVR (Suomen Kansan Vanhat Runot), the digital edition of the Finnish Literature Society (SKS), licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Permanent address of this poem at SKS: http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:sks-kvr-007047 · Read at SKS ↗

Added by RunoVerse: the English translations, the song types, the verse numbers and the links.